Wednesday, February 12, 2003

Thinking Beyond the Shuttle. Long-term alternatives to the shuttle are limited only by imagination. In the meantime, Atlantis, Discovery and Endeavour carry on. By Kenneth Chang. 11:50:04 PM

M.I.T. to Open Two Programs for Minorities to All Races. Massachusetts Institute of Technology officials said they did so out of fear that the programs, which are under federal investigation, would not withstand a court challenge. By The New York Times. 11:50:03 PM

Huge Stock Option Grants Raise Questions. The roots of Sprint's management turmoil lie in a decision to supplement chief William Esrey's pay with huge grants of stock options. By Patrick Mcgeehan. 11:50:03 PM

Police Speeding Up Plans to Pinpoint Cellphone Calls. New York City police officials announced yesterday that they had accelerated their plan to create a tracking system that would be able to pinpoint the location of emergency calls from cellphones. By Kevin Flynn. 11:50:01 PM

Dude's Future? On Web, He Could Look Up Mitchum. Benjamin Curtis, 22, an aspiring actor, is famous as the guy from the Dell computer commercials who says, "Dude, you're gettin' a Dell!" By Marc Santora. 11:50:00 PM

150-Year Sentence in Sex Abuse of Teenager After Internet Meeting. A man convicted of luring a 15-year-old girl from an Internet chat room into a week of torture and rape was sentenced today to a prison term of 150 years to life. By Bruce Lambert. 11:49:59 PM

A Building for Dot-Coms Switches to General Users. The former AT&T Long Distance Building in New York City enjoyed zero vacancy during the dot-com boom. Though times have changed, the building is still healthy. By John Holusha. 11:49:58 PM

Report Suggests Use of Facial and Fingerprint Scanning on Foreigners. Government scientists are recommending a combination of facial recognition and fingerprint scanning technologies for identity documents to be issued to foreigners. By Jennifer 8. Lee. 11:49:56 PM

17 Charged in Satellite TV Case. Seventeen people have been charged in connection with developing technology to steal satellite television service. By Barbara Whitaker. 11:49:54 PM

Rivals of Microsoft File Antitrust Complaint in Europe. An alliance of technology companies filed a new complaint with European antitrust regulators about Microsoft's Windows XP operating system. By Paul Meller. 11:49:54 PM

Conferees in Congress Bar Using a Pentagon Project on Americans. House leaders agreed with Senate fears about the threat to privacy in a program known as Total Information Awareness. By Adam Clymer. 11:49:52 PM

Cell Phone Maker Nokia to Lay Off 550. Nokia, the world's biggest cell phone maker, said today it will cut 550 jobs, or 3 percent of its network business work force. By The Associated Press. 11:49:51 PM

Law Limits Aid to Russia to Maintain Space Station. Plans for more Russian help in maintaining the International Space Station are limited by a law that bars direct financial support for the Russian program. By Warren E. Leary. 11:49:49 PM

Scientists Seek Clues in Solar Storm That Enveloped Shuttle. A storm of particles and radiation, similar to previous disturbances that have sent satellites out of control, crossed the path of the Columbia during its descent. By James Glanz. 11:49:48 PM

Excerpts From Joint Congressional Hearing on Loss of Shuttle Columbia. Following are excerpts from a joint Congressional hearing yesterday into the loss of the space shuttle Columbia, as recorded by The New York Times. Among those who questioned the NASA administrator, Sean O'Keefe, were Senators Olympia J. Snowe, Republican of Maine, and Bill Nelson, Democrat of Florida; and Representative Sherwood Boehlert, Republican of New York. Fuller excerpts are online at nytimes.com/columbia. 11:49:47 PM

Excerpts From E-Mail Messages on Shuttle Landing Dangers. Following are excerpts from two NASA e-mail messages discussing the possibility of a shuttle catastrophe resulting from damage to the main wheel well. The messages were an exchange between David F. Lechner and Robert H. Daugherty and were obtained from NASA's Web site. Mr. Lechner to Mr. Daugherty. 11:49:46 PM

Pucker Up, Sweetie, and Tilt Right. Just in time for Valentine's Day, a professor of biopsychology has produced an analysis of kissing. By Donald G. Mcneil Jr.. 11:49:45 PM

New York Will Sue 2 Big Drug Makers on Doctor Discount. New York is accusing two major pharmaceutical companies of paying doctors and pharmacists to choose their drugs over competing medicines. By Reed Abelson and Jonathan D. Glater. 11:49:44 PM

For All to Read: A Mexican Resort's Dirty Secret. Some of Mexico's beaches are polluted, and the businessmen who live by the tourist dollar have been forced to admit they have a problem: They may be killing the thing they love. By Tim Weiner. 11:49:43 PM

NASA Chief Takes a Seat in the Arena. Sean O'Keefe, the NASA administrator, spent nearly four hours on Wednesday as the sole witness before a joint House-Senate panel. By Sheryl Gay Stolberg. 11:49:42 PM

NASA Official Told That Inquiry Panel Still Needs Changes. Lawmakers told NASA's top official that the board investigating the Columbia disaster does not have the "independence and latitude" needed to conduct an appropriate inquiry. By Richard A. Oppel Jr.. 11:49:41 PM

Engineer Warned of Dire Effects of Liftoff Damage. A NASA engineer warned in an e-mail of a worst-case scenario that could allow re-entry heat to penetrate the shuttle. By John Schwartz and John M. Broder. 11:49:40 PM

Text: Excerpts From NASA's Final Communications With the Columbia. Following are excerpts from NASA communications with the space shuttle Columbia on Feb. 1, beginning at 8:31 a.m., as recorded by The New York Times. NASA assisted in clarifying parts and identifying the speakers, who included Jeff Kling, the shuttle's maintenance, mechanical arm and crew systems officer, or MMACS; Leroy Cain, the flight director; Bill Foster, the ground controller; Charlie Hobaugh, the capsule communicator; Col. Rick D. Husband, the flight commander; Mike Sarafin, the guidance, navigation and control officer, or GNC; Laura Hoppe, instrumentation and communications officer, or INCO; Katie Rogers, emergency, environmental and consumables operation manager, or EECOM; and Richard Jones, flight dynamics officer, or FDO. 11:49:25 PM

National Briefing: Washington. New Prisons Director; Curbs on Asbestos Litigation. 11:49:23 PM

National Briefing: Midwest. SOUTH CAROLINA: Budget Woes For Governor; ALABAMA: Blaze Almost Empties Town. 11:49:21 PM

National Briefing: West. WASHINGTON: Privacy Ruling. 11:49:20 PM

Diving Through Everything and Coming Up With Nothing. HEMPHILL, Tex., Feb. 11 There are thickets. And then there are underwater thickets. Today, as a police diver, Brent Crossley, swam through a muddy, prickly landscape of submerged tree stumps, rotten logs and silt, he saw something shiny. His air tube hung up a couple of times, but he untangled it. There was something out there, small, metal and round, and he wanted to grab it. Mr. Crossley, along with two dozen other police divers, was scouring the bottom of the Toledo Bend Reservoir on the Texas-Louisiana line, searching for debris from the space shuttle Columbia. The waters are 49 degrees. The visibility is no farther than an arm can reach. By Jeffrey Gettleman. 11:49:19 PM

Law Limits Aid to Russia to Maintain Space Station. Plans for more Russian help in maintaining the International Space Station are limited by a law that bars direct financial support for the Russian program. By Warren E. Leary. 11:49:18 PM

Hearings Open at Capitol With Vast Range of Queries for NASA. Lawmakers will examine both the technical aspects of the shuttle tragedy and broader issues about safety, costs and the ultimate goals of the space program. By Richard A. Oppel Jr.. 11:49:17 PM

Official Raised Concerns About Quality of Contractor's Images. A contractor's blurry images of Columbia's final liftoff may have undermined efforts to assess the damage sustained by the shuttle's left wing. By Michael Moss and Stefano S. Coledan. 11:49:16 PM

Painstaking Work Ahead for Investigative Panel. With solid evidence hard to come by, Americans should not expect answers soon: This will be a long slog. By David E. Sanger. 11:49:14 PM

For Astronomers, Big Bang Confirmation. The most detailed and precise map yet produced of the universe just after its birth confirms the Big Bang theory and reveals some early cosmic history, astronomers say. By Dennis Overbye. 11:49:13 PM

Teaching in Your Pajamas: Lessons of Online Classes. One of my favorite parts of college teaching is dressing up and putting on a good show, but some nights I have given lectures for 25 students in my lavender pajamas. By Peggy Minnis. 11:49:12 PM

Senator Gets Good Prognosis for Surgery. Senator John Kerry's prostate cancer shows every sign of being highly curable, and the surgery he has chosen is likely to leave him with few if any lingering effects, his doctor said. By Gina Kolata. 11:49:11 PM

Kerry to Undergo Surgery for Prostate Cancer. Senator John F. Kerry, a Democratic candidate for president, disclosed that he had prostate cancer and would have an operation to have his prostate removed. By Adam Nagourney. 11:49:10 PM

Cheney's Help Is Sought in Budget Snag Over Aid to Farmers. WASHINGTON, Feb. 11 Congressional negotiators turned to Vice President Dick Cheney today to help resolve an impasse over drought relief for farmers that was imperiling the current year's financing for much of the federal government. By Carl Hulse. 11:49:09 PM

Cheney Keeps His Distance From the President (Yet Again). Since the administration put the nation on "high" alert, the White House has tightened its practice of keeping President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney apart. By Eric Schmitt. 11:49:07 PM

Bush Gains Crucial Backer for His Tax Plan in Senate. President Bush's $674 billion economic plan drew surprising support today from Senator Charles E. Grassley, the Iowa Republican. By Elisabeth Bumiller. 11:49:06 PM

Officials Push Use of a 20-Minute H.I.V. Test. Federal health officials are urging wider use of a rapid H.I.V. test to identify newly infected people earlier and so reduce their chances of passing on the virus. By Lawrence K. Altman. 11:49:05 PM

Report Suggests Use of Facial and Fingerprint Scanning on Foreigners. Government scientists are recommending a combination of facial recognition and fingerprint scanning technologies for identity documents to be issued to foreigners. By Jennifer 8. Lee. 11:49:04 PM

Head Start Plan Worries Supporters. A Bush proposal would hand direct control of Head Start, the federal preschool program serving nearly one million poor children, to the nation's cash-strapped states. By Diana Jean Schemo. 11:49:03 PM

M.I.T. to Open Two Programs for Minorities to All Races. Massachusetts Institute of Technology officials said they did so out of fear that the programs, which are under federal investigation, would not withstand a court challenge. By The New York Times. 11:49:01 PM

Filibuster on Judgeship Halts Business in the Senate. Senate Democrats began a filibuster, speaking on the floor without pause, to block the president's nomination of Miguel Estrada to a Washington federal appeals court. By Neil A. Lewis. 11:48:59 PM

Conferees Approve Provisions to Expand Development in Alaska National Forests. WASHINGTON, Feb. 11 Republicans have tucked provisions into the spending bill that the House and Senate conferences are negotiating to permit road building in two Alaska forests, expand timber harvesting in national forests and open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to exploratory oil drilling. By Jennifer 8. Lee. 11:48:57 PM

17 Charged in Satellite TV Case. Seventeen people have been charged in connection with developing technology to steal satellite television service. By Barbara Whitaker. 11:48:56 PM

Deliberations Begin in Hit - and - Run Trial. A jury began deliberations Wednesday in the murder trial of a woman who ran down her husband with her Mercedes after catching him and his lover at a hotel. By The Associated Press. 11:48:55 PM

Salmonella Survivor Endorses Push for Food Safety Agency. Representative Rosa L. DeLauro, who was stricken with salmonella poisoning when she was 2 years old, is on a campaign to clean up the nation's dirty food. By Elizabeth Becker. 11:48:54 PM

Outside Do-It-Yourself Store, Men Yearn to Do It for Them. Hispanic day laborers, laid off from casual jobs in landscaping and construction, throng the lots of do-it-yourself stores like Home Depot hoping for work. By Charlie Leduff. 11:48:53 PM

Greenspan's Doubts Prod Bush Defense of Tax Cuts. The White House moved to shore up support for the president's economic plan and took issue with the Federal Reserve chief on the need for tax cuts. By Richard W. Stevenson and Edmund L. Andrews. 11:48:51 PM

Engineer Warned of Dire Effects of Liftoff Damage. Two days before the Columbia blew apart, a NASA safety engineer warned in an e-mail of a worst-case scenario that could allow re-entry heat to penetrate the shuttle. By John Schwartz and John M. Broder. 11:48:50 PM

Technology Briefing: Hardware. I.B.M. WINS $2 BILLION CONTRACT FROM VISTEON; BROCADE LOSS CAUSED BY JOB-CUT COSTS;. 11:48:47 PM

World Business Briefing: Australia. AUSTRALIA: Bank Profit Falls;. 11:48:45 PM

Long Lines Mar Canada's Low-Cost Health Care. Growing complaints about long lines for diagnosis and surgery are eroding public confidence in Canada's national health care system. By Clifford Krauss. 11:48:43 PM

For All to Read: A Mexican Resort's Dirty Secret. The businessmen who live by the tourist dollar have been forced to admit they have a problem: they may be killing the thing they love. By Tim Weiner. 11:48:40 PM

Europe Proposes Rules on Phone Competition. The European Commission proposed new rules meant to ensure that 15 member nations keep careful watch over the giant former state telephone monopolies. By Paul Meller. 11:48:39 PM

Barrick Gold Fires Its Chief as Stock Price and Profits Lag. Barrick Gold, one of the world's largest gold producers, dismissed its chief over missed profit targets and the company's languishing stock. By Bernard Simon. 11:48:38 PM

Software Success Has India Worried. Is the United States going to start turning its back on outsourcing, the lifeblood of India's software and services industry? By Saritha Rai. 11:48:35 PM

England Cuts Expectations for Growth During 2003. Less than a week after it reduced interest rates to their lowest level in almost 50 years, the Bank of England cut its forecast for economic growth. By Alan Cowell. 11:48:35 PM

Global Talks on Farming Begin Friday. Trade ministers from two dozen of the world's largest economies will meet in Tokyo this weekend to discuss the reduction of agricultural tariffs. By Ken Belson. 11:48:35 PM

Viacom Rebounds to Quarterly Profit, but Shares Decline. Viacom had a net profit for the quarter, but its shares fell because the cable networks unit did not do as well as expected. By Geraldine Fabrikant. 11:48:34 PM

A Cash Infusion for Digital Archives. Congress has set aside $100 million to carry out a plan for collecting and preserving digital information, including images, CD's, Web pages and electronic journals. By Katie Hafner. 11:48:34 PM

It's All About Hottitude and Tweaking 'Reality'. It should hardly be surprising that viewers can enjoy reality shows without believing they are real. By Alessandra Stanley. 11:48:33 PM

Ziccardi Wins Four Accounts. Ziccardi Partners Frierson Mee in New York has been awarded accounts by four clients, with billings estimated at $13 million to $15 million. 11:48:33 PM

Company Sues Over Rejection of Ad. A company's lawsuit against CNN is the latest pressure tactic from advertisers and regulators seeking greater control over how media outlets handle commercials. By Nat Ives. 11:48:32 PM

Research Case Is Settled. Thomas Weisel Partners has agreed to pay $12.5 million to settle accusations that its analysts tailored stock research to win investment-banking business, the last in a group of securities firms to settle such charges. By Bloomberg News. 11:48:32 PM

Primedia Reports Narrower Loss. Primedia, the publisher of 250 magazines, said that a change in accounting rules and rising magazine sales helped the company post a narrower loss in the fourth quarter. By Bloomberg News. 11:48:31 PM

Strong Water and Juice Sales Increase Coke Profits by 1.8%. The Coca-Cola Company said yesterday that its fourth-quarter earnings rose 1.8 percent and its volume growth outpaced its competitors in every major category last year. By Sherri Day. 11:48:31 PM

Greenspan's Doubts Prod Bush Defense of Tax Cuts. The White House moved to shore up support for the president's economic plan and took issue with the Federal Reserve chief on the need for tax cuts. By Richard W. Stevenson and Edmund L. Andrews. 11:48:31 PM

Voluntary Pacts Reached to Curb Greenhouse Gases. Administration officials announced modest agreements with several industries to voluntarily control the emissions of greenhouse gas linked to global warming. By Jennifer 8. Lee. 11:48:30 PM

Republicans Back Down on Raising Farm Aid. Vice President Dick Cheney persuaded Congressional Republicans to drop plans for adding new farm subsidies. By Elizabeth Becker. 11:48:30 PM

Yahoo Outlines Plans for Adding Premium Services. Yahoo outlined plans for premium services that it expects to introduce later this year. But it disappointed some analysts. By Saul Hansell. 11:48:29 PM

New Chip for Cellphones to Be Introduced by Intel. Intel plans to start shipping a chip, the Manitoba, for use in cellphones, a move the company hopes will provide a strong presence in the wireless communications industry. By Matt Richtel. 11:48:29 PM

Infinity Shares Fall After Auto Insurer Has Initial Offering. Shares in the Infinity Property and Casualty Corporation fell, a day after being sold in a $198.1 million initial public offering, the first in the United States this year. By Bloomberg News. 11:48:29 PM

Tax Moves by Enron Said to Mystify the I.R.S.. Big companies like Enron have escaped taxes through financial maneuvers so complex that the Internal Revenue Service has been unable to understand them. By David Cay Johnston. 11:48:28 PM

Deficits and Political Pain. Alan Greenspan, the Federal Reserve chairman, called the latest forecasts of budget deficits "sobering." A better word might be "shocking." By Hal R. Varian. 11:48:28 PM

Stocks Fall on War Fears. The looming threat of a U.S.-led attack on Iraq and heightened security concerns weighed on investor sentiment. By Reuters. 11:48:27 PM

Democrats Against Tax Cuts Praise Fed Chief. Democrats praised Alan Greenspan today for criticizing President Bush's new round of $1.3 trillion in tax cuts as too expensive in light of soaring budget deficits. By The Associated Press. 11:48:27 PM

Europe Proposes Rules on Phone Competition. The European Commission proposed new rules meant to ensure that 15 member nations keep careful watch over the giant former state telephone monopolies. By Paul Meller. 11:48:26 PM

Global Talks on Farming Begin Friday. Trade ministers from two dozen of the world's largest economies will meet in Tokyo this weekend to discuss the reduction of agricultural tariffs. By Ken Belson. 11:48:25 PM

Software Success Has India Worried. Is the United States going to start turning its back on outsourcing, the lifeblood of India's software and services industry? By Saritha Rai. 11:48:24 PM

England Cuts Expectations for Growth During 2003. Less than a week after it reduced interest rates to their lowest level in almost 50 years, the Bank of England cut its forecast for economic growth. By Alan Cowell. 11:48:23 PM

Barrick Gold Fires Its Chief as Stock Price and Profits Lag. Barrick Gold, one of the world's largest gold producers, dismissed its chief over missed profit targets and the company's languishing stock. By Bernard Simon. 11:48:22 PM

Matsui Beat Baffles Some, Irks Others. As Americans have generally been for the Japanese blanket coverage of Ichiro Suzuki in Seattle, people here are downright baffled by the up-to-the-minute Hideki Matsui mania. By Harvey Araton. 11:48:21 PM

Lack of Attack Readiness Laid to Financing Delay by U.S.. State and local governments say they are not ready for a major terrorist attack because of Washington's delay in providing funds promised after the Sept. 11 attacks. By Philip Shenon. 11:48:21 PM

3 Countries' U.S. Criticism Brings Anger in Congress. WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 ÷ Pausing briefly in their attacks on each other, members of Congress from both parties joined today in a vigorous chorus of condemnation of France, Germany and Belgium, accusing the three nations of abandoning their moral obligations to the Western alliance. By David Firestone. 11:48:21 PM

NASA Chief Takes a Seat in the Arena. Sean O'Keefe, the NASA administrator, spent nearly four hours on Wednesday as the sole witness before a joint House-Senate panel. By Sheryl Gay Stolberg. 11:48:20 PM

Denial of March Cost Antiwar Protesters Symbol and Power, Too. Some marches may look like rallies, and some rallies may look like marches, but historians say there is a difference between the two that can have great symbolic weight. By Janny Scott. 11:48:20 PM

Worrying About, Well, Stranger Behavior Than Usual. New York City residents have been waiting, worrying and looking nervously all around in varying degrees since September 11. By N. R. Kleinfield. 11:48:19 PM

Inspectors Begin Destroying 10 Iraqi Mustard Gas Shells. United Nations arms inspectors began work on Wednesday to destroy 10 old artillery shells filled with mustard gas. By Ian Fisher. 11:48:19 PM

Russia, U.N. Swing Vote, Plays a Waiting Game. Russia's vote holds the potential to leave either side in the uncomfortable position of being a minority in a fateful international decision. By Michael Wines. 11:48:18 PM

NATO Talks Over Turkey in Deadlock. The member states of the NATO failed again to resolve the crisis over the defense of Turkey, but diplomats said that a new, narrower proposal showed some promise of bridging the gap. By Richard Bernstein. 11:48:18 PM

Behind Roses' Beauty, Poor and Ill Workers. As Ecuador's colorful blooms radiate romance around the world, the poor toil despite headaches and rashes for the wealthier of the world. By Ginger Thompson. 11:48:18 PM

Pro-Qaeda Oil Workers a Sabotage Risk for Saudis. Saudi Arabia has increased security around its oil fields after the discovery that employees of the oil company sympathetic to Al Qaeda were discussing sabotage plans. By Jeff Gerth. 11:48:17 PM

A Former Indonesian Dissident Makes His Peace With America. The publication of "C.I.A. Documents: The Effort to Overthrow Sukarno" was a mission close to Joesoef Isak's heart, who worked closely with Sukarno, the first president of Indonesia. By Jane Perlez. 11:48:17 PM

Singapore Classifies Romance as a National Security Issue. The Singapore government, worried about a worsening baby shortage, has begun a campaign to encourage people to fall in love, marry and start families. By Agence France-presse. 11:48:16 PM

Cease-Fire Fails in the Philippines as Soldiers Clash With Rebels. Fighting between government soldiers and Muslim rebels continued in the southern Philippines, a day after President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared a cease-fire. By Carlos H. Conde. 11:48:16 PM

China Asserts It Has Worked to End Nuclear Crisis. Chinese officials said they have been working hard to help mediate between North Korea and the U.S., but that the two sides would have to find a solution themselves. By Elisabeth Rosenthal. 11:48:15 PM

For All to Read: A Mexican Resort's Dirty Secret. The businessmen who live by the tourist dollar have been forced to admit they have a problem: they may be killing the thing they love. By Tim Weiner. 11:48:15 PM

Iraq Chemical Arms Condemned, but West Once Looked the Other Way. Almost 15 years after Iran's war with Iraq ended, painful reminders abound of the long-lasting effect of Iraq's use of chemical weapons in that eight-year conflict. By Elaine Sciolino. 11:48:14 PM

Leaders Try to Mend Irish Peace Accord. The talks are the first major attempt to heal a rift that forced Britain to suspend the local government and reimpose direct rule from London last October. By The New York Times. 11:48:14 PM

A Web Site in India That Revealed Graft Becomes a Target. Tehelka.com, an Indian news Web site that revealed government corruption, is close to going out of business because of continued government harassment. By Amy Waldman. 11:48:13 PM

Long Lines Mar Canada's Low-Cost Health Care. Growing complaints about long lines for diagnosis and surgery are eroding public confidence in Canada's national health care system. By Clifford Krauss. 11:48:13 PM

Terror Aid From Pakistan Concerns Senators. The senators said that elements of Pakistan's powerful Interservices Intelligence agency might be helping members of the Taliban and Al Qaeda. By James Dao. 11:48:12 PM

Republicans Back Down on Raising Farm Aid. Vice President Dick Cheney persuaded Congressional Republicans to drop plans for adding new farm subsidies. By Elizabeth Becker. 11:48:12 PM

Afghans Report 17 Civilians Killed in Allied Air Raids. The fighting began when the Special Forces were attacked in an ambush and called in coalition planes to bomb the area. By Carlotta Gall. 11:48:11 PM

Sharon Faces Belgian Trial After Term Ends. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon can be tried for war crimes under Belgium's laws, but not as long as he enjoys the immunity of his office. By Marlise Simons. 11:48:11 PM

North Korea Wants Arms and More Aid From U.S., Chief of C.I.A. Suggests. George J. Tenet's assessment came as the International Atomic Energy Agency voted to refer the North Korean issue to the U.N. Security Council. By Michael R. Gordon with Felicity Barringer. 11:48:11 PM

C.I.A. Chief Sees bin Laden Tape as Urging Terror. The country's intelligence chief warned that the latest taped message attributed to Osama bin Laden was an "exhortation to his followers." By David Johnston. 11:48:10 PM

Experts Confirm New Iraq Missile Breaks U.N. Rules. The panel's conclusion will add fuel to the United States' argument that Iraq is defying Security Council disarmament resolutions. By Julia Preston with Eric Schmitt. 11:48:10 PM

Cheney's Help Is Sought in Budget Snag Over Aid to Farmers. WASHINGTON, Feb. 11 Congressional negotiators turned to Vice President Dick Cheney today to help resolve an impasse over drought relief for farmers that was imperiling the current year's financing for much of the federal government. By Carl Hulse. 11:48:09 PM

Head Start Plan Worries Supporters. A Bush proposal would hand direct control of Head Start, the federal preschool program serving nearly one million poor children, to the nation's cash-strapped states. By Diana Jean Schemo. 11:48:09 PM

Words of C.I.A. and F.B.I. Chiefs: Dangers America Faces From Al Qaeda. Following are excerpts from opening statements in testimony yesterday by George J. Tenet, director of central intelligence, and Robert S. Mueller III, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, before the Senate select intelligence committee. 11:48:08 PM

Full Text: Words of C.I.A. and F.B.I. Chiefs 11:48:08 PM

Cheney Keeps His Distance From the President (Yet Again). Since the administration put the nation on "high" alert, the White House has tightened its practice of keeping President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney apart. By Eric Schmitt. 11:48:07 PM

Bush Gains Crucial Backer for His Tax Plan in Senate. President Bush's $674 billion economic plan drew surprising support today from Senator Charles E. Grassley, the Iowa Republican. By Elisabeth Bumiller. 11:48:07 PM

Senator Gets Good Prognosis for Surgery. Senator John Kerry's prostate cancer shows every sign of being highly curable, and the surgery he has chosen is likely to leave him with few if any lingering effects, his doctor said. By Gina Kolata. 11:48:06 PM

Law Limits Aid to Russia to Maintain Space Station. Plans for more Russian help in maintaining the International Space Station are limited by a law that bars direct financial support for the Russian program. By Warren E. Leary. 11:48:06 PM

Officials Push Use of a 20-Minute H.I.V. Test. Federal health officials are urging wider use of a rapid H.I.V. test to identify newly infected people earlier and so reduce their chances of passing on the virus. By Lawrence K. Altman. 11:48:06 PM

Conferees Approve Provisions to Expand Development in Alaska National Forests. WASHINGTON, Feb. 11 Republicans have tucked provisions into the spending bill that the House and Senate conferences are negotiating to permit road building in two Alaska forests, expand timber harvesting in national forests and open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to exploratory oil drilling. By Jennifer 8. Lee. 11:48:05 PM

American Officials Disclose 2-Year Plan to Rebuild Iraq. The officials outlined steps for administering and democratizing Iraq after the ouster of Saddam Hussein. By James Dao. 11:48:05 PM

Salmonella Survivor Endorses Push for Food Safety Agency. Representative Rosa L. DeLauro, who was stricken with salmonella poisoning when she was 2 years old, is on a campaign to clean up the nation's dirty food. By Elizabeth Becker. 11:48:04 PM

Report Suggests Use of Facial and Fingerprint Scanning on Foreigners. Government scientists are recommending a combination of facial recognition and fingerprint scanning technologies for identity documents to be issued to foreigners. By Jennifer 8. Lee. 11:48:04 PM

Hearings Open at Capitol With Vast Range of Queries for NASA. Lawmakers will examine both the technical aspects of the shuttle tragedy and broader issues about safety, costs and the ultimate goals of the space program. By Richard A. Oppel Jr.. 11:48:04 PM

Filibuster on Judgeship Halts Business in the Senate. Senate Democrats began a filibuster, speaking on the floor without pause, to block the president's nomination of Miguel Estrada to a Washington federal appeals court. By Neil A. Lewis. 11:48:03 PM

Conferees in Congress Bar Using a Pentagon Project on Americans. House leaders agreed with Senate fears about the threat to privacy in a program known as Total Information Awareness. By Adam Clymer. 11:48:03 PM

Greenspan Throws Cold Water on Bush Arguments for Tax Cut. The Federal Reserve chairman cast doubt on the need for short-term stimulus and warned that deficits could get out of control. By Edmund L. Andrews. 11:48:02 PM

Senior U.S. Officials Tell Lawmakers of Iraq-Qaeda Ties. The secretary of state cited a new tape believed to be of Osama bin Laden, and the C.I.A. director said officials had powerful evidence showing a connection. By David Johnston. 11:48:02 PM

Senator's Cancer Surgery Successful, Doctor Says. Senator John F. Kerry, a Democratic candidate for president, has an excellent chance for a full recovery, his doctor said. By Adam Nagourney. 11:48:01 PM